One of the first questions I ask fixed operations managers when I enter a dealership is if they meet with their service advisors one-on-one. More often than not, the answer is no.
Many managers don’t feel they have the time to meet individually with their team members, even if they would like to. But taking 5-10 minutes a day with each of your service advisors will pay dividends in your department sales, customer experience and employee morale.
Here’s how you can help your team members succeed with regular coaching sessions:
- Schedule one-on-one meetings with each service advisor
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- Keep them short, between 5-10 minutes.
- If you’re worried about keeping the meetings on pace, consider having them standing up.
- Stick to an agenda so everyone knows what to expect and stays focused
- Remember this should not be a lecture, it should be a conversation!
- Review current performance. (Hours Per RO, P&L Sales, CSI Scores)
- Congratulate if meeting or exceeding goals.
- Provide guidance on improvements if not meeting goals.
- Role play can be helpful here.
- Audit a few of their repair orders from the past week.
- Do this for all of your advisors, regardless of performance.
- Point out where they did things right, and where they missed opportunities.
- Provide a plan on how to maximize missed opportunities next time.
- Role pay can be helpful here.
- Give them a chance to provide feedback.
- Anything they need to do their job that they don’t have?
- Keep them short, between 5-10 minutes.
By making the time to reinforce your expectations, recognize when advisors are performing well and coach when they have room to improve – you will connect with your advisors in a way that shows them you’re invested in their success.
Give one-on-one meetings a try with your service advisors and let me know what you see!
President, John Dillon Consulting
P.S. Check out my other blogs for more service department tips!